Improved method of boring oil-wells



UNIT-En STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DENNIS B. HARDER, OF NORTH OHATHAM, NEW YORK.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 54,1418, dated April24, 1866.

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, DENNIS R. HARDER, of North Chatham, in the county ofColumbia and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Machinefor Boring Artesian Wells; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which-Figure l is an elevation of one side of the machine complete. Fig. 2 isan end view of the cam for operating` the working-beam to which thedrill is attached. Fig. 3 is an end view, showing the device forrotating the drillrope. Fig. 4 is a side view of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is asectional view ot the windlass for carrying the drill-rope and takingthe twist out of it during the operation of drilling. Fig. 6, Sheet 2,is an enlarged view of the spirally-grooved device for rotating thedrill-rope. Fig. 7 is a view of one-half of the device shown in Fig. 6.Fig. Sis a top view of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a bottom view of Fig. 6. Fig.l0 is a side view ofthe guides for giving a rectilinear movement to thedevice which rotates the drill-rope. Fig. ll is a side view of thecentral core or jackscrew" of the device for rotating the drill-rope.Fig. 12 is a sectional view of the device for rotating the drill-rope.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severaliigures.

This invention relates to certain improvements on machinery for drillingdeep wells, where the drill is suspended by means of a -rope which isattached to a vibrating working beam.

The main object of my invention is to communicate a continuous rotarymotion to adrill which is suspended by a rope at the same time that thedrill receives an up-and-down motion, and to prevent the rope fromkinking or receiving an undue twist, as will be hereinafter described.

Another object of my invention is to suspend the device whichautomatically rotates the drill from one arm of a vibrating workingbeamin such manner that the drill-rope shall receive a perpendicularmovement as the drill is elevated and dropped, as willbe hereinafterdescribed.

Another object of myinvention is to so construct the device which isemployed for rotating the drill-rope and drill that this device can bereadily attached to or detached from said rope without removing thedrill from the verse shaft, c', that has its bearings in the upper endof the post B, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The cam a acts upon afriction-roller, b, on the rear end of the beam A', and at everyrevolution of the driving-shaft a' the beam A receives a vibration. Thecam a depresses the rear end of said beam slowly, and then releases thisbeam, so as to allow its opposite end to drop suddenly.

To the forward end of the Working-beam A' a contrivance for rotating thedrill-rope is suspended by means of la link, b', the upper end of whichpasses freely through a vertical slot in said beam, and is pivoted to itby a transverse pin, o, which works in slotted bearingboXes c. (Shown inFigs. 4 and l0.) The lower end of this link b' is pivoted between twostandards, d d, by means of a transverse pin, c2, which is the axis ofmotion of the pin c in its slotted boxes c'. The pin c projects out ashort distance from each side of the bearing-boxes, on the beam A', andits ends enter perpendicular slots in two iXed guides, j' f, that aresecured at their upper ends to a horizontal beam of a derrick-frame, D.(Shown in Fig. l.)

The object of allowing the pin c to move i its bearing-boxes c' and ofguiding this pin o by means of the vertical guides f f is to prevent thedevice which rotates the drill-rope from partaking of the vibratingmotion' of the forward end of the working-beam4 A' during the operationof drilling.

By the above arrangement the drill and drill-rope will receive arectilinear reciprocating motion, and the drill will be movedperpendicularly in the well, whatever may be the length of stroke oftheforward end of the vibrating beam A. The .device for rotating thedrill-rope C is applied to this ropebetween the forward end of the beamA and the surface of the ground, and its aXis of motion coincides at alltimes with the center of the well. The rope C passes from a windlass,D', through a hub, c, of this windlass, and is carried thence to the topof the derrick D, and passed over a pulley, e', thence down through thecenter of the device for rotating the rope7 as shown in Fig. 1. Thiscontrivance for giving a continuous rotary lnotion to the rope C duringthe vibration of the working-beam consists of a hollow cylinder, F,which is divided diametrically and the two halves hinged together. Thiscylinder is provided with latches or catches of a suitable descriptionfor securing the two halves together, as shown clearly in Fig. 6, and itis also constructed with a cylindrical neck, g, on

its upper end, which neck receives a collar, to which the standards ddare secured and within which the cylinder F revolves. This collar F isalso divided diametrically, and the halves secured together by a hingeand catch, as described for the cylinder F.

Within the cylinder F is a jack-screw, F2, having a circular llangeformed on its lower end. This screw is also diametrically divided andthe halves secured together by a hinge and catch. It is made hollow toreceive through it the drill-rope C, and it is constructed and appliedto the cylinder F in such manner that it can be screwed into and out ofthis cylinder at pleasure.

The drill-rope C passes loosely through the center of the cylinder F andscrew F2, and is secured rigidly to the lower end of the latter by meansof two curved clamps, h h, which are piv'oted to the bottom of saidscrew at their upper ends, and confined on each side of the rope G bymeans of a clamping-screw, h which passes through the ends .of a splitring, h2, as shown in Figs. 6, 9, and 11.

The outer surface of the cylinder F has a number of vertical grooves, ii, formed in it, the upper and lower ends of which terminate in obliquegrooves j j, thus forming four V- shaped grooves at regular intervalsapart around the cylinder. The grooves in the cylinder F receive twopins,.7c k, which are arranged opposite each other and applied tospring-boxes 7c k', that are formed on the ends of forked arms Z l.These arms are secured to the post A, or to a vertical stop-post, Gr,

grooves in this cylinder. f

One end of the rope O is connected to the drilling device in the welland `the other end is wound upon the windlass D. This windlass has aslot, Z', in its flange, and a similar slot, l', in the standardthereof. These slots terminate at the center of the hub c of thewindlass, and receive in them that portion of the rope which passes offfrom the windlass.

By means of a wedge, fm, and hook m' the rope is held in the positionshown in Fig. 5, and cannot be unwound from thev windlass without rstremoving'this rope from the iiange of the same.

By means of a belt, fn, passing over a pulley on the driving-shaft a,and also overone of the iianges of the windlass D, the latter is rotatedin such direction and at such speed with reference to the movement ofthe cylinder about its axis as will cause this windlass to untwist thatportion of the rope between the cylinder and windlass asn rapidly asthat portion of thev rope below the cylinder' F is rotated. In`thismanner the rope leading from the cylinder to the windlass will not betwisted out of its normal state.

The great advantage gained by the rope C being constantly turned in thesame direction as its own twist is that it is kept uniformly tense fromthe drill upward, partaking in some particulars of the nature of asolid, like a bar of iron or wood, and even stronger, as the rope is notliable to twist oft', when of great length, like wood or iron.

The drill is made to revolve regularly, and must make a round hole, thusobviating the liability of the drill getting fast in an irregular hole.

When it becomes necessary to raise or lower the drill the device forrotating it can be readily unfastened and removed from the drillrope,and when this rope is taken out of the contrivance for rotating it mustalso be taken out of the center of the hub of the wind-lass.

`The rope and its windlass may now be used `for any purpose for which itmay be required.

If desirable, the contrvance for rotating the rope C may be made ofsolid cylindrical parts instead of semi-cylindrical sections, in whichcase it should be detached from the workingbeam A when the drill is tobe raised from the well and drawn up to the top of the derrick by meansof a small pulley and rope. When the drill is again lowered into thewell the rotating device is returned to its former position and attachedto the working-beam.

The vertical post G is provided on its upper end with a suitable spring,for the purpose of receiving the blow ofthe beam A should the drillbreak through a rock or suddenly drop into a crevice. This will preventthe machinery from receiving such a shock as would be liable to injureit. If desirable, the power for operating'the beam A may be placed onthat side of the post A which is nearest the well.

The object of the jack-screw F2, to which the Y drill-rope is attached,as above described, is to enable a person to adjust the rope and allowthe drill to descend as rapidly as it cuts the rock. If desirable, acontrivance may be applied to the jack-screw F2 for securing this screwin any desired position, and thus preventing it from turning of itself.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Rotating the drill and drill-rope continuously in one directionduring the operation of drilling by means of a suspended reciprocatingcylinder having grooves in its surface which are acted upon by pins 7c7c, through the center of which cylinder the drill-rope is passedloosely, substantially as described.

2. Supporting and guiding a reciprocating device adapted for rotatingthe drill and drillrope in such manner that this device shall receive aperpendicular movement when actuated by means of a vibratingworking-beam A', substantially as described.

3. The grooved cylinder F, with a hole through its center and also witha hollow adjustable jack-screw, F2, for receiving and holding thedrill-rope, all constructed substantially as described.

4:. The combination of rope-clamps kb ,jackscrew F2, and a rotatingcylinder, F, substantially as described.

5. The divided cylinder F, in combination with the divided screw F2,substantially as described.

6. Attaching the rotating device F to the working-beam A in such mannerthat said device F can be detached therefrom, and also detached from thedrill-rope at pleasure without lifting the drill from the well,substantially as described.

7. The stationary fork l, spring-pins 7c k, and rotatin gcylinder F, incombination with a drillrope which passes through the center of saidcylinder, and which is affixed thereto, substantially as described.

8. The perpendicular stop-post Gr, in combination with the working-beamA', lifting-cam a., and the device for rotating the drill-rope C,substantially as described.

9. In combination with the device for automatically lrotating thedrill-rope C continuously in one direction, providing a means forlowering the drill as the well deepens, substantially as described.

10. In combination with a drilling apparatus wherein the feeding-ropepasses through the turning-guide, which is turned with an intermittentmotion always in the same direction, a device for preventing the ropefrom becoming twisted, and also for supplying the rope to the drill, thesaid device having but a single axis of revolution, substantially asdescribed.

ll. The combination of a drill which is suspended by a rope and receivesa vertical and rotary motion with a device for preventing the rope frombecoming twisted, and also carrying the supply-rope, the said devicehaving but a single axis of revolution, substantially as described.

Witness my hand in matter of my applica- Witnesses:

R. T. CAMPBELL, EDW. SCHAFER.

